Each week we look through our pile of writing opportunities to pick out one we think is particularly worth your time. It could be an innovative brief, great prize money, a high-profile company, or just plain fun.

So, what’s so great about it? The BBC actively works to connect with new writers, and this is your first way in to make contact, and they’re rightfully proud of their successes. In addition to reading scripts, they run initiatives to train people on how to write for longstanding drama, and hosts conferences and developmental opportunities for writers. They accept submissions of stageplays to showcase a writer’s voice, so if you’re interested in writing for TV sending in your script is a great first step. Remember, the portal doesn’t open until 9 December, so don’t try to submit before then – and entries are read anonymously, so leave your name off! You have until 9 January to get your submission in, so time to start polishing that script.

A brief biography of your writing to date (up to 1 paragraph) to be included on your profile

If you are submitting an episode script for a series/serial, you may also attach a brief outline (1-3 pages) of further episodes and the series/serial as a whole. This should be attached as a separate PDF document to your script

Your script should be a saved as a single PDF document of no more than 10MB in size.

All scripts will be read “blind” i.e. without a name attached, until after full-read stage. Please remember to remove your name and contact details from your script.

*If you are submitting a sample script for Children’s TV or Online, you are welcome to submit 2 x 15 min episodes as a single PDF document.

How to apply: The link to submit your script via their e-submissions system will activate at 10am on Friday 9th December. You will only be able to submit your script during the time the window is open.

The EU Collective Plays Playwriting competition is in memory of Matteo Latino, an Italian playwright, actor and director who acquired a solid reputation in the Italian theatre community for his innovative and unconventional exploration of the issues related to his generation. “Matteo was a true researcher who was never tired of experimenting with the conflation of different styles and techniques. In 2011 he was awarded the Premio Scenario for his creation “Infactory”. He died on 30th March 2015 at the age of 35.”

The competition aims to identify new and exciting voices in contemporary theatre and to encourage collective writing processes amongst young playwrights. From the entries received, they will select between two and four playwrights to develop a play in collaboration.

This is an international, inclusive competition open to young playwrights from all nationalities, although the residency for the selected playwrights will be conducted in English.

What you get:

Each winner will receive a 500 euro stipend.

The winners will take part in a kick-off one-week residency to start writing their play. During that week, they will be assisted by a dramaturg or senior playwright throughout the process.

Travel expenses and accomodation will be covered by the EU Collective Plays! project.

The play written by the winners will be published in an anthology alongside other 8 collective plays commissioned by the EU Collective Plays! project

The EU Collective Plays! project reserves the right of staging the world premiere of the play written by the winners of the competition.

What to submit: Each young playwright wishing to take part in the competition must select a maximum of three topics that they would like to to explore from the attached form and must submit the following:

A biography of maximum 150 words (please include in it your level of proficiency in English)

An expression of interest (maximum 300 words outlining why you are entering this competition )

A ten page excerpt of a previous work/ play (either published/produced or unpublished/unproduced)

A synopsis of the play referred to in 3 (maximum 300 words)

A fully completed application form (attached).

The play excerpt can be submitted in the following languages: English, Spanish, German, French, Italian, Norwegian, Swedish, Danish, Flemish, Maltese, any language related to the Balkan countries.

All other submissions must be in English (biography, statement of interest, synopsis).

Now in its eighth year, the programme is run in partnership with Jerwood Charitable Foundation, and will take on twelve talented, emerging writers, who will be mentored for one year by an established writer working in the genre of either Poetry, Fiction or Playwriting.

Eligibility: If you are 18 or over, and have attended any Arvon course in 2015 or 2016 (including Partnership and Arvon City courses, retreats and Clockhouse Retreats), you may be eligible to apply for this year’s scheme. If you applied in 2015 for the 2016/17 scheme, you are eligible to apply again.

Fee: Thanks to full funding from Jerwood Charitable Foundation, the programme is free.

How it works: This is a unique opportunity to transform your writing practice. Over the course of the year you will benefit from dedicated support and guidance with your writing, two week-long residentials at an Arvon centre, and additional advice sessions from industry professionals.

They are looking for applications from those interested in developing both their writing and professional practice, who have a clear idea of what they would like to achieve over a one-year period.

The three mentors will take on four writers each in their category, supporting and guiding them in their work over the course of the year, from a week of intensive workshops, to one-to-one sessions, and preparing their work for publication in a group anthology.

Writing time:In addition to ongoing mentoring, the beginning and end of the year are each marked by a week away at Totleigh Barton, the first Arvon centre, in the Devon countryside. Beginning with a tutored Residential Week in March 2017 with the three mentors, the year concludes with a Retreat Week without the mentors in February 2018. These weeks will provide the programme’s mentees with the time and space to focus on their writing, away from their everyday lives.

Professional development:In the autumn of 2017 the twelve writers will receive specialist advice sessions with industry insiders. Their development over the year will culminate in an anthology of their writing, in print and e-book format, and in a book launch event in London.

How to Apply: The submission pack (available here) includes full details on eligibility and instructions on how to apply. Interviews will be held on 23rd February (Playwriting), 28th February (Fiction), and 2nd March (Poetry).

If you have any questions about the Jerwood/Arvon Mentoring Programme or how to apply, please contact Joe Bibby, Learning and Participation Coordinator, on joe.bibby@arvon.org or by calling 0207 324 2562.

They plan to feature three to four unperformed original scripts in a fully rehearsed staged reading with professional cast.

In their own words: “The setting will be formally theatrical but intimate and the audience likely to be astute but supportive. We want this to be both an entertaining event for the public and an informative and developmental experience for the writers.”

They are now asking for writers who would like to participate in this event to get in touch and send a script. The event takes place in March 2017 and they want to finalise the programme by the end of January.

FROM PAGE TO STAGE is a festival of new musical theatre dedicated to showcasing un-produced work and work in development to an audience to garner feedback and create new opportunities for the artistes involved.

The fifth annual FROM PAGE TO STAGE festival has been invited to Andrew Lloyd Webber’s newest theatre The Other Palace.

What you get: From Page to Stage funds and arranges the inclusion of the selected pieces, endeavouring to pay a fair wage to all contracted artistes. The festival is not intended for profit but to allow new work a platform on which to be developed and exposed to new audiences. The aim is to develop new work, excite audiences about the opportunity to see pieces in the first stages of development, and support the creatives involved in the process.

Programming options:

Pieces will be selected to receive fully-staged, rehearsed readings. This includes a week of rehearsal, a cast of up to 8, a creative team, and three performances each. The readings are a perfect opportunity for a piece that is finished but perhaps has not been put on its feet yet.

Pieces will also be selected to be a part of the showcase evenings. They will be performed by rep casts and will also receive a week’s rehearsal, creative teams, and multiple performances each. The showcases are 30 minutes long per piece and we will adapt or abridge each piece to suit. (Shows with larger casts are therefore able to submit for showcases, as material shown can be arranged to fit within casting limits.)

One piece will receive a fully produced production. With three weeks of rehearsal, a cast of 8-10, a creative team, and 10-12 performances, depending on the schedule, the headline musical is a piece that is ready to be performed and simply has not had the opportunity.

They will also have a number of Gala Performances, highlighting songs from submitted shows. (A perfect opportunity for shows that are not yet complete.)

There will also be opportunities for writers/writing teams to present cabaret-style evenings of their back catalogue or work in development. These songwriter showcases will be musically driven, not productions, and should be applied for only by writers with three or more shows to draw upon.

What to submit: To submit for an application, you will need:

– Information about the piece and its writers (names, cast sizes, etc.)
– A 100 word summary of the show
– 3 mp3 song files
– a pdf of the first 20 pages of the libretto
– 1 sheet music example